


Everything to Protect Him

by TheGirlWithBrightEyes



Series: Fragments of Life [3]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Angst, Fear, Fire, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self-Sacrifice, attempted execution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-12 08:09:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19942933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGirlWithBrightEyes/pseuds/TheGirlWithBrightEyes
Summary: Gift work, a direct continuation to Hellfire from my Fragments of Life series, taking up directly after Aziraphale and Crowley has swapped bodies and Crowley heads out to invesitage what Adam has changed.Crowley's POV up until he and Aziraphale swap back.





	Everything to Protect Him

**Author's Note:**

  * For [daydream42581](https://archiveofourown.org/users/daydream42581/gifts).



After Crowley and Aziraphale had swapped bodies and Crowley was now wearing Aziraphale's body, the demon made his way out of his apartment to try find out what exactly had changed when the world had made a frightening lurch that morning. Although Aziraphale's body was in much better condition than Crowley's - which Aziraphale was hopefully resting right now as instructed - Crowley's mind was a different thing entirely.

Haunted by everything that had happened the past 48 hours he found himself unable to put a spring in his steps, his mind much too worried as he moved about the streets for any signs of changes but felt he was met by any other morning. Humans going about their usual morning routines, it was as if nothing had happened. Even if no one seemed to think anything out of the ordinary, Crowley's eyes were constantly darting around looking for any signs of angels coming to get Aziraphale. He could only hope that they'd not realise that it wasn't the angel inhabiting this body anymore.

The first signs of visible changes Crowley noticed as he closed in on a nearby park, where he found curious headlines for the newspapers. Crowley stopped to stare at the fresh morning print declaring mass hallucinations. Swallowing, resisting the urge to snap as this would be a dead giveaway in case someone was looking, he paid for a newspaper and flipped quickly through it.

The list of 'mass hallucinations' fit all too perfectly with what had happened the day before.

"He rebooted it..."Crowley muttered to himself, frowning. People thought dead had returned, the fire on M25 was gone, Atlantis was gone again and Kraken was being played off as a bit of a joke. It was very unsettling to say the least. Crowley licked his lips, his nerves on edge.

If Adam had changed this much during the night, he could understand why the world had felt like it had been tilted and then up righted. It wasn't strange that he was experiencing a quite unpleasant tingling sensation in the air, either, though this could very well be a side effect of using Aziraphale's body. He remained standing, newspaper in his hands, trying to think. It was still slow work, he was all but recovered from the day before.

What else had changed? Where would Aziraphale be expected to go? The bookshop, most likely, and Crowley didn't like that trail of thought at all. Just thinking about it made him break out in cold sweat and the very last thing he wanted to see was the burned out corpse of Aziraphale's much loved home. Even seeing Soho was difficult.

He sat down on a bench, trying to collect his thoughts. After a minute or two, an old man shuffled up beside him and sat down on the bench.

"Good morning." Crowley started slightly and caught himself, giving the human a small smile that probably came off as rather nervous. Was this someone from Heaven's side? Reaching out tentatively with his powers, the man didn't feel like a cosmic being - it seemed he was just an ordinary human. How strange. Did this happen to Aziraphale often? Crowley was nearly never bothered by humans in his own body.

"Good morning," he said back rather airily, glancing down at the newspaper folded in his hands. The old man saw him look and bobbed his head.

"I saw the headlines," he said. "Something funny is afoot if you ask me." Crowley couldn't help smile. Something funny indeed, that was just the start of it.

"Yes, they are quite extraordinary news," he agreed, grasping for what Aziraphale might say in this situation. "I'm not even sure where to begin, really. It's all so..."The old man chuckled.

"Strange? Well, one usually starts from the beginning and read to the end," he said with a wrinkled smile. "Are you quite finished with it? I'd like to have a peek." Crowley thumbed the newspaper and gave it to him. he had no use for it now. "There's a good lad!"

"The beginning..."Crowley mused, turning his gaze to the sky.

"Yes, left to right you know. It's customary. Read between the lines until you get to the heart of things," the old man said, licking his thumb before flipping the newspaper open. Crowley nearly crumbled at that. The heart of things. The very thing he feared the most right now. He felt far from ready but what choices did he have? If all went wrong he didn't want the last thing he saw to be the nightmare he had lived through the day before. Despite this, he nodded, feeling quite desperate.

"I guess so," he agreed and got up. "Have a lovely day," he said, just because it was the kind of thing Aziraphale would have said. The old man gave him a warm smile.

"And to you, my good lad. And thank you for the newspaper."

Heart hammering in his chest Crowley walked out to the street and called down a cab, instructing it to bring him to Soho. The entire ride he tried to brace himself for what he would see once he arrived at the bookshop, reminding himself not to breathe once he got there. He didn't want to feel the scent ever again. As the cab finally pulled up, Crowley was so shocked to see the bookshop back the way it was that he almost didn't hear the cab driver ask him to pay. Feeling utterly confused he gave him some money and told him to keep the change before stepping out. He was left standing there on the road, staring, a grim look on his face.

It had burned. He'd been there. He'd felt the heat of the flames, felt the scent of burning wood, leather, paper... He shuddered, stopping himself.

_Don't go there._

He was left staring until a honking horn brought his attention to drivers getting annoyed with him standing in the road, and he stepped aside feeling down his pockets for Aziraphale's key. Although he himself never bothered with keys Aziraphale always had, and like the angel had said: better not use any miracles if he could help it. This was enemy ground and he was the bait. He stepped up the stairs, knowing he wasn't doing a very good job at pretending to be Aziraphale but he was too shaken to act.

He found the key and almost dropped them as he fumbled to unlock the door, pushing the doors open to step inside. His mind plagued him by replaying the flames before his eyes and he shook his head, trying not to think about it. It wasn't on fire. It was right here. It was restored. More or less, anyway. He saw some books he knew Aziraphale would never stock, presumably additions of Adam. He wondered why. Perhaps he'd somehow seen the bookshop as part of Aziraphale when...

_No..._

"He saw the bookshop through me..."Crowley whispered, horror struck. Adam had seen right through him and seen the bookshop burn. Lightheaded, Crowley found it difficult to breathe. He sunk down on one of Aziraphale's chairs, drawing deep breaths to calm himself. It was working poorly and it took him several minutes to collect himself enough to dare step out of the bookshop again. He couldn't stay. Being here was torture.

He almost fled out and arrived early at St James park, brooding by the duck pond when Aziraphale turned up. He'd barely noticed him before he was suddenly there beside him, wearing dark glasses and a sort of pout that felt like something of a caricature of him.

"Ice cream, angel?" Aziraphale suggested and Crowley nodded slightly. He felt queasy and didn't want food, but if there was one thing everyone who knew Aziraphale knew, it was his love of food and sweets. As they wandered over to the ice cream seller, Crowley watched Aziraphale strut in his body, slightly alarmed at how well the angel seemed to adapt. Still, if this plan went wrong he'd know Aziraphale would be all right and comfortable in his body which was a small relief.

As Aziraphale ordered ice creams, Crowley's mind wandered to his Bentley. Had Adam seen that, too? It wasn't unthinkable. If it had been fixed, he'd know...

"How's the car?" he asked, trying to sound casual. Aziraphale leaned against the ice cream box.

"Not a scratch on it," he answered, confirming Crowley's thoughts. Adam had indeed seen through him and it was greatly unsettling. All the same...it had brought Aziraphale's bookshop back to him. And it had restored the Bentley. What else had he seen, though? What else had changed? "How's the bookshop?"

Of course he'd ask about the bookshop. Crowley's heart sunk at the thought.

"Not a smudge. Not a book burned. Everything back the way it was," he said, wandering around Aziraphale, who couldn't quite suppress a smile at these news. Of course he was happy to hear it and Crowley was happy for him. He couldn't blame him. Aziraphale handed Crowley an ice cream he wasn't particular to, but he took it nonetheless. "You heard from your people yet?" he asked, unsure whether contact would work on the disguise. Aziraphale looked slightly startled but recovered quickly and shook his head.

"Yours?" Crowley looked around nervously.

"Nothing." It was even more unsettling. He'd expected them to show up any minute for the past two hours and...nothing. He glanced nervously around, still on edge. Even more so now that they were in such an open area.

"Do you...understand...what happened yesterday?" Aziraphale said carefully and Crowley could tell he was trying to be as vague as he could while still maintaining his imitation. He knew what Aziraphale meant. What exactly had been changed and how.

"Well, I understand some of it," he said, thinking about Adam. "But some of it...well, is just a little bit too..."he trailed off, something catching his eye. He didn't quite have time to react until suddenly some of the workers in the park were on him, a miracle binding him up before he could get a word out. A warning. Hands wound around his arms none to gently and he was forced back, seeing Aziraphale spin around, only realising what had just happened too late. The last thing he saw was Aziraphale falling on his face but he was too far away to see what had happened. He hoped with all his heart that his angel would be safe and nothing would happen to him, and that no one in Heaven would suspect that they really had the wrong person.

...

Crowley's skin crawled at being back in Heaven, the halls quite as empty as he remembered from before the Fall. That, and he had hoped to never come face to face again with Gabriel. He didn't know the other two, but Gabriel he remembered vividly from the day before.

He should have known he'd see him here, considering what he'd said to Aziraphale. He flexed his fingers, testing the binds. They didn't seem tight but he felt sure he wouldn't be able to get loose. He looked up on his captors.

"You could have just sent a message," he tried carefully to reason with them. "I mean...the kidnapping...in broad daylight." At that, Gabriel looked very pleased with himself.

"Call it what it was: an extraordinary rendition," he said with a laugh, as if the whole thing was some kind of joke. Crowley found it difficult to see what was so funny. "Now, have we heard from our new associate?" New associate? He didn't like the sound of that but he had a feeling what was coming.

"He's on his way," one of the unknown angels drawled and Gabriel looked triumphant. It was sickening.

"He's on his way," he said gleefully. "I think you're gonna like this. I really do. And I bet you didn't see this one coming," he added looking immensely proud of himself. Hearing this, Crowley felt very glad they'd had a heads up from Agnes or Gabriel may very well have been right.

"Don't get this view down in the basement." Crowley froze - he recognised that voice. Too scared to turn his head, he very carefully glanced to the side as he saw a familiar face come carrying Hellfire. He watched in silence, heart hammering in his chest as the Hellfire was tossed down and rose with a roar to a giant pillar. While expected, it didn't make him any happier. They'd intended this for Aziraphale...for his angel.

_Soon enouff ye will be playing with fyre._

"So. With one act of treason you averted the war," Gabriel jolted him out of his thoughts. Treason. For what? Conviction that humankind would not be sacrificed for a war they really had no reason to be involved in? For wanting to spare billions of lives?

"Well I think the Greater Good-" Crowley started but was cut off by Gabriel, who suddenly did not look as pleased.

"Don't talk to me about the 'Greater Good' Sunshine, I'm the archangel-fucking-Gabriel," he spat before looking more...disappointed, which felt very strange. "The Greater Good was that we were finally going to settle things with the opposition once and for all." Crowley swallowed. Speaking of the Greater Good had been a mistake. It would make it more difficult to try to barter - he still had to try though. It would be much easier if they did just let Aziraphale go without trying to execute him even if the chance seemed very slim at the moment.

A slim chance for him to not have to test his theory that this would work.

Right then, the chance became even slimmer as the unknown angel came over to loosen his binds and order him to stand. Barely in control, Crowley got up and straightened his clothes, a wary look at Gabriel. All right. Possibly his last chance.

"I don't suppose I can persuade you to reconsider?" he attempted to smile but it quickly faded. It was no use. If Aziraphale's charm would not work, no words would sway Gabriel. "We're meant to be the 'good guys' for Heaven's sake!" he added.

"Well, for 'Heaven's sake' we are meant to make examples out of traitors. So." Gabriel motioned to the fire without a flicker of regret. "Into the flame."

Crowley's heart froze. They honestly expected Aziraphale to step willingly to his death. They weren't even considering the scenario that he would not. It seemed absurd and yet he knew it was not. Aziraphale was no longer one of them, probably had not been for many millennia, if at all. They expected total obedience and no questions or protests. It was the behaviour of tyrants and dictators and it frightened him. He could finally understand the fear Aziraphale must have felt every time he suggested him to disobey.

Turning back to the pillar of Hellfire, Crowley tried to still his racing heart. This was it. If this worked, he might get off. If it didn't, he would die. If he got off he didn't know what to do, but if he didn't...the thought of release, of finally being free of all his fears, the torment of his mind...it was tempting. And yet...

He wanted more time with Aziraphale. Time. He'd had millennia and now...he was running out of time. Swallowing, he stepped up close to the flame. Might as well get this over with. He turned to the angels watching him and nearly huffed. Aziraphale was so much better than them, in every way.

"Well, lovely knowing you all. May we meet on a better occasion," he said, in a careful reminder how sweet Aziraphale really was. How forgiving. As expected, it didn't go through well.

"Shut your stupid mouth and die already," Gabriel ordered, giving him a decidedly false smile. Hatred boiled in Crowley, wishing more than anything that he could take this vindictive archangel with him into the flames. Crowley hated Gabriel for everything he represented and he wished with all his heart that whatever happened now, Aziraphale would never have to deal with him again.

Looking into the flames he takes a deep breath before taking that final step, letting the flames engulf him.

It doesn't hurt. It's hot, licking all around him, but he is unharmed.

It worked.

Crowley's heart leapt in triumph, his slim chance of getting out alive suddenly growing into a chasm. He could do this. Putting on the air of getting comfortable he opened his eyes and looked out on the three angels, staring back at him in shock. His confidence soars. They are frightened and he is holding their destruction in his hands. If he wanted to, he could destroy them. It would be dangerous to try though...but frighten them, that he can do. In a small act of defiance he makes the Hellfire obey his command and spews it out at them. They scuttled back like frightened mice and Crowley couldn't help grinning in satisfaction.

It was a petty victory but he didn't care.

"It may be worse than we thought," Gabriel said nervously, much less confident now than when he asked Aziraphale to die. Crowley watched them smiling as they looked at each other.

"What is he?" the unknown angel said cautiously and the confused Gabriel shook his head. This isn't part of the protocol. It would require imagination and this Crowley knows for a fact that the archangel lack. That they all lack, all except Aziraphale.

"If he's not one of us this is out of our hands," the unknown angel told Gabriel, who looked all but happy at the development. "It is written quite clearly that we can only judge angels. If he's no longer an angel he's an Untouchable."

"But he _must_ be an angel!" Gabriel said almost desperately, trying to understand what was going on.

"But the Hellfire doesn't hurt him," the third angel piped up, silent until now. "He should have gone up in flames by now."

"I know. I _know_ ," Gabriel said, clearly frazzled. Then... "Get him out of here. If he's no longer an angel he doesn't belong up here." The unknown angel glared at Crowley.

"You heard him. Get lost, Aziraphale! Whatever you are now." Crowley nodded, stepping out of the Hellfire. He dusted off his jacket pointedly.

"Very well. I don't expect to hear anything more from you, from now on," he said quite seriously. None of them looked very happy.

"Yes! Now _go away_ ," Gabriel ordered and Crowley raised his brows. The archangel gave him another of his fake smiles and turned, walking briskly away from him, the other two in tow. The third angel glanced briefly back at him before he also turned and left.

Crowley looked about him, his memory fuzzy over how exactly he is to get out of Heaven, but in the end he found the escalator and took it back down to Earth.

...

Back down on Earth Crowley didn't know what to do with himself, but gathered that Aziraphale must be worried so he decided to get back to St James. Time worked strangely in Heaven but he hoped the angel would be waiting for him there, his watch claimed only a couple of hours had passed. He almost instantly found Aziraphale walking around rather restlessly in close proximity to the park entrance closest to the exits from Heaven. He seemed unharmed for which Crowley was immensely grateful.

As he got close though, he felt the scent of Hell on him.

"Did something happen?" he asked apprehensively and Aziraphale smiled brightly, apparently no longer feeling the necessity of trying to be him.

"Oh I think I scared the Hell out of Beelzebub," he said gleefully almost giggling. Crowley's heart made a leap for his mouth.

"They got you...?"he whispered, throat suddenly dry.

"Just about when they got you," Aziraphale said without concern and started walking toward the closest bench. Crowley followed him, trying to breathe.

_He's all right. He isn't hurt. Whatever happened it went well. I protected him._

"They were about as imaginative as one may have expected," Aziraphale mused, Crowley staring at his back vaguely noticing that his jacket was now tartan around the collar. He'd have to fix that. "They tried to use Holy Water of course and well, needless to say, that didn't work." He sat down and Crowley slumped beside him, weary to the bone. He nodded, frowning.

"Well, Heaven wasn't much better with their Hellfire. They got properly confused," he said, avoiding to speak of how they had treated him. "Do you think they'll leave us alone now?" Aziraphale seemed to consider it.

"At a guess, they'll pretend it never happened," he said, something that bothered Crowley greatly but he could sort of understand it. The bureaucracies of Heaven and Hell ignored things that went outside the protocol. It wasn't really helping them much here, though. For now it had to be enough, they'd get peace for the moment. "Right," Aziraphale said, bringing Crowley's attention back. "Anyone looking?" Sighing Crowley took it as an affirmative to use his powers again and he focused, feeling around for any demonic or heavenly presence. He couldn't feel anything.

"Nobody," he said, feeling slightly relieved. "Right, swap back then?" he asked, reaching his hand out, a feeling that Aziraphale was quite keen to be back in his own body now that the initial threat was gone. Aziraphale took it and he felt the light push of power as the angel initiated the swap, their bodies tingling unpleasantly after the swap back. Aziraphale shuddered beside him and Crowley wriggled to sit more comfortably now that he had less meat on him. He reached up to fix his collar.

"Tartan collar, really?" he said, slightly affronted. Aziraphale blinked.

"Tartan's stylish!" he pouted and Crowley sighed exasperatedly, once again reminded that Aziraphale would rarely remember this was the 21st century. It was as annoying as it was endearing. "So, Agnes Nutter's last prophecy was on the money," Aziraphale started and Crowley stared out in front of him, thinking of the Hellfire. It had indeed. He could only imagine what had happened if they didn't get it. "I asked for a rubber duck and made archangel Michael miracle me a towel!" he continued gleefully, eyes sparkling with mirth at his own ingenuity. Startled, Crowley could only laugh at the absurdity of it all and almost regretted not being there to see Aziraphale's performance. It seemed he'd enjoyed himself and scared them off. Aziraphale laughed with him, beaming.

"They'll leave us alone. For a bit." He sucked in a breath through his teeth, not wanting to spoil the mood but feeling compelled to talk. "If you ask me, both sides will use this as breathing space before the big one." Aziraphale instantly looked worried.

"I thought that was the big one!" he asked, brow furrowing. Crowley shook his head, not really having the energy to work himself up over it. Especially not in this body.

"Nah for my money the really big one...is all of us against all of them." Aziraphale gazed at him.

"What? Heaven and Hell against...humanity," he said, lost in thought. Crowley looked around. It was high time to celebrate the victory they'd had today. They both lived and for now, they had time again. Also, he wanted to get Aziraphale on different thoughts.

"Right, time to leave the garden," he turned to Aziraphale, leaning back. "Let me...tempt you to a spot of lunch?" The words instantly had the desired reaction - Aziraphale perked up considerably.

"Temptation accomplished!" he said happily with a ridiculous sort of wiggle. It was rather cute, Somebody help him. They got up as one and started walking, Crowley glad to be back in his own body again. He felt less tense even if he was sore. "Hm..."Aziraphale mused, eyes twinkling. "What about The Ritz? I believe a table for two has just miraculously become free."

Aziraphale really did have a soft spot for The Ritz and quite honestly, Crowley did, too.


End file.
